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health – Page 3 – Homesteader Depot

Homesteader Depot

Tag: health

  • The Benefits of Homemade Soap

    The Benefits of Homemade Soap

    When was the last time you looked at the ingredient list on the soap that you buy at the grocery store? Most people never stop to take the time to look at this list, just getting what they’ve always bought or whatever marketing plan and commercials have told them a good soap should be. When you start to look at the ingredient list though, chances are good that you will find quite a few things that you can’t pronounce, including chemicals that may not be as good for your skin as you believe. It makes far more sense to go natural with your soap, as it can have some benefits.

    Cold process soap, the type that uses lye, is the best type of homemade soap. You do not have to worry about the caustic qualities of lye, as the saponification process takes care of this. It is relatively easy to make, and it works well to break down dirt, which can provide you with a clean feeling on your skin without any “residue” that you might feel from chemical-laden store bought soap. Essential oils can be added to the soap, which provides a nice scent, along with better moisturizing capabilities, making it great for the skin. Since it is natural, it also happens to be good for the environment.

    When it comes to getting these quality cold process soaps, you have a couple of options. You can find sellers online who are making these soaps, for starters. This might be a good solution when you want to test out just what a difference the natural soaps can make. You could also find people in your area who make soap and buy or barter with them. Of course, as a homesteader, it is also a good idea to take some time and learn how to make this soap on your own. This is a fantastic skill to have.

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  • Dirt Cheap Foods for Homesteaders

    Dirt Cheap Foods for Homesteaders

    Whether you’re an urban homesteader or full-blown, land-owning, farmer, you have probably come to a time in your life at some point in which you had to keep your budget tight. If you are saving up for land, land development, or simply trying to budget and spend in a smarter way, food is always one of the biggest expenses, and it can be hard to know how to cut back on food spending without going for less healthy, processed foods.

    Fortunately, there are many wonderfully healthy and nutritious foods out there that are not only good for you, they’re dirt cheap too! I thought I’d put a quick list together of some of my favorite frugal foods for homesteaders and beyond.

    Beans

    Dry beans are always cheap, and a great source of protein and fibers. They’re a great survival food, too, since they keep for long periods of time, but on a regular basis not only will they save you lots of money by adding frugal protein to your meals, they’re very healthy as well.

    Lentils

    Lentils, like beans, are highly nutritious and healthy, and also frugal too! Sometimes simple green lentils are cheaper than any other dried bean, so stock up! You can make all kinds of delicious Indian-style dishes or warm, hearty lentil soup.

    Oatmeal

    Simple bulk rolled oats are healthy, delicious, and totally cheap! You can use them to make cookies, snack bars, or just whip up a quick and easy bowl of oatmeal for breakfast. They’re low-calorie, high in fiber and iron, and naturally gluten-free (although if you do have a gluten intolerance, make sure the oatmeal you buy indicates it’s gluten-free on the box because it is often produced in the same factory as wheat otherwise and might have traces of gluten).

    Rice

    You can’t really go wrong with rice, and together with dried beans, you’ve got a complete meal that’s easy to store for survival purposes. But by itself, it is a healthy, cheap way to enhance stir-fries, make pudding, risotto, and more.

     

    Canned tomatoes

    Canned tomatoes or tomato sauce are a really great and cheap staple to have on hand. Rather than buy expensive pasta sauce that has sugar and preservatives in it, if you keep canned tomatoes on hand you can always whip up your own, making delicious, healthy pasta and pizzas at home a breeze.

    Carrots and Celery

    These are great staple vegetables to have in your fridge. They’re not only cheap, they’re low-calorie and kid-friendly too. Prepare a large batch of veggie sticks at the beginning of the week and you’ll have a healthy snack to munch on all week that will keep you away from the potato chips!

    Apples

    Apples are another great option to keep in your fridge for healthy snacks all week long, and they’re cheap too! You know the expression, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”? Well, there’s a good reason for it! Apples are high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals, and also loved by kids as well.

    Cabbage 

    Finishing off our selection of great, healthy, and affordable produce, cabbage is another great one to have on hand. You can use it in all kinds of dishes, and it will keep for a very long time in your crisper, unlike that ill-fated and expensive spring mix that will turn in a few days. Whip up some coleslaw, sauteed with sausage, make some classic cabbage wraps, the sky’s the limit.

    Potatoes 

    Potatoes are a great staple for your kitchen, and they’re always incredibly cheap. Potatoes get a bad rap, but they’re really quite healthy. Their skins are packed with vitamin C and antioxidants, and they’re a great alternative to grain for a healthier diet. Plus, there are so many possibilities for how to prepare them, they make for a really great frugal base for tons of delicious and hearty meals.

    Ground beef

    Probably one of the cheapest and healthiest meats, ground beef is not only frugal on its own, it can often be found at rock-bottom prices so you can stock up your freezer for next to nothing. Put in your pasta sauce, stir-frys, hamburgers, and more, it’s rich in iron and typically quite lean, so it’s a great source of protein that can’t be beaten.

    Ground turkey

    Also often frugal and found on sale, ground turkey is ideal to add some very low-priced protein to your diet. Kids often love turkey burgers too for their milder taste, and they’re easy to season accordingly.

    Popcorn

    Popcorn is cheap, lasts forever, and is much healthier than potato chips or other processed snack foods. Keep the kernels in your pantry for a quick, easy, warm bowl of buttery popcorn anytime. Kids love it, and will love to help you make it right on the stove!

    Seasonings

    Seasonings of all kinds, from garlic to dried herbs, to vinegar, and even mustard and other sauces, can all be found affordably and are essential for the frugal pantry. You’d be amazed at how much you can dress up your frugal food with a few dashes of delicious herbs. Always make sure to invest in flavor!

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  • The Easiest Way to Consume More Liver

    The Easiest Way to Consume More Liver

    We have been covering the health benefits of liver recently, including a very delicious way to prepare it that makes it quite enjoyable to incorporate into  your diet. This way to prepare it is liver pate, which is made out of mostly liver and butter. While I certainly find this recipe to be quite delicious and enjoyable, it’s also pretty caloric and rich, and not necessarily what you want to eat on a regular basis.

    There are also many who simply do not find liver pate to be enjoyable, in fact, they find it to be just about as repulsive as plain old liver and onions.

    This is definitely understandable! Liver certainly has a bit of an odd, acquired taste, that is sort of earthy and strong. And sometimes, no amount of butter, bourbon, or seasonings is going to mask this if you already have an aversion to liver itself.

    So, if you really want the amazing health benefits of liver, but don’t feel like having to eat it, there is one simple solution that might be more palatable to you or at least, might make the process of consuming liver a little less unpleasant.

    This is to make your own liver pills. That’s right, you can literally make pills out of liver that you can swallow, which helps you to literally hold your nose and quickly toss some awesome nutrients down the hatch without having to think too long about what you’re actually consuming.

    Here’s how:

    Ingredients

    1 package high-quality, organic, grass-fed chicken or beef liver (and thawed if bought frozen)

    Directions

    1. Read through all the directions first, so you’re sure you have room in your freezer for the liver “pills” and a sharp enough knife to make them.
    2. Rinse your liver in cold water and pat dry.
    3. With a sharp paring knife, slice up your liver into pill-sized pieces. This might take awhile.
    4. Place the liver pieces on a cookie sheet lined with parchment.
    5. Leave in the freezer until frozen solid.
    6. Transfer the frozen “pills” into an airtight container and leave in the freezer for at least 14 days.

    These two weeks of additional freezing will ensure that any pathogens in the liver have been killed, making it safe to consume the “pills” raw. After two weeks, simply swallow one or two with every meal.

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  • Simplest Bulletproof Coffee Recipe

    Simplest Bulletproof Coffee Recipe

    You may have heard of bulletproof coffee, which is gaining massive popularity among foodies everywhere. It is an aspect of the bulletproof diet, a book and diet plan designed by a man named Dave Asprey, that focuses on lots of good fat, moderate protein, and low carbohydrates.

    Healthy fats are making a huge comeback, after decades of “low-fat”  being considered healthy, nutritionists have changed their tune on saturated fats, which they now say make up an important part of a healthy diet.

    And bulletproof coffee is a great way to make sure you’re getting healthy fats, and make your morning coffee smooth and delicious without unhealthy creamers.

    It’s very simple to make, and you’re sure to get hooked!

    The purist version requires a special kind of coffee, and a special kind of oil called MCT oil, but any coconut oil will do, as they count as MCT oil. Organic coffee is always much better for you than non-organic, since conventional coffee crops are usually heavily sprayed with pesticides. Organic coconut oil is preferable as well. And, you will definitely want to use butter from grass fed cows. Pasteurized dairy is a much healthier source of fat, as grass is what cows are meant to eat. It also ensures they are much healthier, meaning higher-quality butter.

    And now, without further ado, here’s the recipe:

    Ingredients: 

    • Organic coffee of choice
    • Grass-fed butter
    • Coconut oil or other MCT oil

    Directions: 

    1. Brew your coffee as you normally would.
    2. When you have a fresh cup of coffee, when it is still very hot, add 1/2 tbs each of coconut oil and butter.
    3. Put the coffee with oil and butter in your blender, and blend on high for a few minutes, until it is nicely frothy.
    4. Pour back into your mug, and enjoy!

    Now, keep in mind, this will have about 400 calories in a single cup, which is a lot, so if you’re counting calories, make sure to keep track of that. I usually find that with a few hard boiled eggs, this makes a very satisfying breakfast that gives me energy throughout the day!

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  • How to Detox With Coconut Oil

    How to Detox With Coconut Oil

    Our modern lives are full of toxins. Air pollution, manufacturing chemicals, preservatives in food, you name it. These toxins degrade our health and compromise our immune system.

    Detoxing has become very popular for this reason, and many people report incredible transformation after trying a “cleanse” for a short time. If you’d like to try some detoxing, coconut oil is a really great way to do this.

    Coconut oil is incredibly nutritious, and packed with important fatty acids and have many great health benefits, including:

    • Increased brain activity
    • Digestive support
    • Blood sugar regulation
    • Heart and cardiovascular health
    • Protection against cancer
    • Cholesterol regulation
    • Increased energy
    • Immune system boosting
    • Efficient fat burn
    • Thyroid support
    • Anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and anti-microbial properties

    To begin a detox with coconut oil, you’ll want to generally cleanse your whole diet too. You don’t have to stop eating all the foods you love, just commit to avoiding processed foods, fast food, and junk food, as well as white sugar for at least one week. You’ll notice a huge difference from this alone!

    Then, take 2 tbs of raw virgin coconut oil mixed with warm water every 2 hours. You can mix this into other drinks, have in bulletproof coffee in the morning, or mix into soups and stews. Do this for 3-7 days for amazing detox results.

    Once you start to detox, you might experience “die-off” or a slight sickness from the toxins leaving your body. You’ll want to make sure to drink lots of water, take Vitamin C, and drink lemon or lime water too. Activated charcoal tablets can also help too. Fresh fruit can really take the edge off too.

    When you’re done, try to stick to healthier foods if you can, and continue to incorporate coconut oil into your diet.

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  • How to Make Healthy Gummy Candy

    How to Make Healthy Gummy Candy

    Gummy candy is a great treat, but unfortunately, it’s usually loaded with dyes, preservatives and chemicals.

    Like many junk foods, there are healthy versions you can make at home, but DIY gummy candy has a unique quality among healthy alternatives to candy: it’s actually really good for you. 

    The base of homemade gummy candy is gelatin, which is an excellent source of protein, minerals, and vitamins that help improve skin, hair, nail, dental, and bone heath, ease the symptoms of arthritis, relieve tendonitis and other muscle and joint-related health issues.

    It’s amazingly good for you, but make sure you buy gelatin from grass-fed cows. Gelatin from feedlot cows is not anywhere near as healthy, as those animals are often unhealthy themselves and pumped full of antibiotics and hormones.

    Also, make sure you buy a gelatin that says it will dissolve in hot water and clump in cold water. If it says it will dissolve in cold water, it won’t work for gummies. Gummies have gotten very popular, so these days, most brands will probably indicate what you can use the gelatin for on the container.

    There are many different options for flavoring gummy candy, the sky is pretty much the limit! Just do a quick search on Pinterest and you’re bound to be overwhelmed by all the creative combinations foodie bloggers come up with.

    Here’s a very basic recipe to get you started:

    Ingredients and tools:

    • 3/4 cup fruit juice
    • 3 tbs raw honey or maple syrup
    • 3 tbs grassfed gelatin powder
    • Small saucepan
    • Candy molds or shallow glass pan

    Directions: 

    1. Get all your ingredients and your candy molds or glass pan together. If you are using a glass pan, gently grease it. Make sure you have everything measured and ready to go before you get started, as some steps are time-sensitive.
    2. Next, make sure you have room in your refrigerator for the gummies to cool once they’re in the molds or the pan. They will need to sit flat on a surface. I usually line my candy molds up on a baking sheet and make space for them before getting started. If your fridge is too full, you can also use the freezer.
    3. Gently heat the juice over low heat in a small saucepan on the stove.
    4. Stir in the honey or syrup until fully dissolved.
    5. Sprinkle in the gelatin, whisking to combine as you go. Continue to whisk until completely dissolved. You might have a few clumps, try to nudge these or press with a fork until they are broken up and dissolved, as best you can (a few small lumps won’t ruin it, if the rest of the gelatin is fully dissolved.
    6. Once your gelatin is fully dissolved, remove the liquid from heat and pour right away into your candy molds or pan.
    7. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours, or freeze for 10-20 minutes. Once they’re fully solid, either pop out of the candy molds or cut up into squares.
    8. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and enjoy!

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  • 3 Reasons to Keep Raw Honey Around

    3 Reasons to Keep Raw Honey Around

    Honey is a staple of any well-stocked pantry, but most people just think of it as a condiment to be added to tea or perhaps to top sweets or desert.

    The majority of conventional, store-bought honey, however, is actually pasteurized. Pasteurized honey sounds like a good idea, like any pasteurizing process, as it supposedly eliminates the possibilities of harmful bacteria growing in the honey.

    However, when you pasteurize honey, it actually eliminates the vast majority of beneficial qualities of the honey, and it is also largely unnecessary, as honey rarely contains any harmful bacteria.

    Here are three reasons you should always have raw honey as a staple in your pantry:

    1. It lasts forever

    No, seriously. If honey doesn’t come into contact with water or other external factors, it can last virtually forever. They found honey in ancient Egyptian tombs that was still perfectly edible (not sure if anyone ate it, but they deemed it edible at least). You can keep a jar of it in your pantry and it will virtually always be fresh. This makes it a great survival food, as well as reliable pantry staple.

    2. It can replace refined sugar

    You can use honey in place of white, refined sugar in pretty much any recipe, and it is way, way healthier. Surprisingly, for something so sweet, it has a comparably low glycemic index, making it a great alternative to sugar for those dieting or with health-related issues who want to watch their GI.

    3. It is a medicine as well as a food

    Along with all the wonderful ways you can use honey in cooking, there’s also a multitude of health benefits to raw honey. It contains prebiotics which help aid digestion and replenish beneficial gut bacteria, and it also is a natural antibiotic that can keep wounds clean and protected from infection. It can also help reduce allergies or ease cold and flu symptoms, especially if you consume local raw honey. You can even wash your hair and your face with it, or add it to healing facial masques.

     

    Raw honey is truly a miracle of nature, and it’s increasingly easy to find at local grocery stores. My Walmart, for example, carries several varieties of local raw honey that are very reasonably priced. Add this crucial pantry staple to your home cooking today.

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  • DIY Tooth Whitening Recipe

    DIY Tooth Whitening Recipe

    We’ve shared a lot of DIY health and personal hygiene products on this blog, and for good reason. There are so many products out there that are full of chemicals and toxins, that can be easily made at home for a fraction of the cost. This whitening tooth powder is packed with beneficial ingredients you’ll want to try.

     

    Ingredients:

    • 4 tablespoons bentonite clay. This is a natural, mineral-rich powder that gently cleans your teeth. It also detoxifies your mouth to freshen breath and fight gum disease
    • 2 teaspoons baking soda. Baking soda is a very mild abrasive that polishes the teeth and removes stains.
    • 1½ teaspoons finely ground sea salt. This ingredient is loaded with trace minerals that help to strengthen and rebuild your teeth. Salt is also a natural antiseptic which keeps the bacteria in your mouth in check.
    • 1 ½ teaspoons unrefined stevia powder. For anyone nervous about ditching conventional toothpaste, or just picky children, stevia helps to sweeten the powder.
    • Up to 3 teaspoons flavoring of your choice. Ground cloves, cinnamon, or mint are excellent choices that also act as astringents for gum health.
    • 1 teaspoon activated charcoal. Ironically, this jet black special ingredient is what really does the work in whitening your teeth. Activated charcoal (carbon) particles bind to the tannins from coffee, tea, wine, and certain foods to lift stains away. Charcoal also helps to balance the mouth’s pH levels which aids in remineralization.

     

    Add all ingredients to a clean glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Attach the lid and shake thoroughly to evenly mix.

    To use, simply wet your toothbrush, dip it in the powder, and brush and rinse as you would with toothpaste. 

    This recipe is incredibly easy to make and use in place of conventional toothpaste made with questionable chemicals. Whip up a batch today to complete your DIY health and wellness toolkit.

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